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Third period explosion: Caps beat Panthers 4-2!

By Spenser Smallwood (@russianmachine) on November 5, 2016 | 0 Comment

Welcome to my first game recap. Because I am a rookie re-capper, expect my game to lack frills. Thrills will be included.

The Washington Capitals were able to extend their winning streak to five games with their 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers tonight.

A little over five minutes into the game, Jared McCann opened the scoring for the Caps’ opponent for only the second time in eleven games. Halfway through the second period, TJ Oshie scored to tie the game on an insanely accurate shot after an insanely precise pass from Alex Ovechkin on an odd-man break.

Reilly Smith gave the Panthers another one goal lead three minutes into the third period beating Matt Niskanen on a break on the power play. The Capitals captain would tie the game a few minutes later with some net front presence on a Brooks Orpik drive.

TJ Oshie put the Caps in the lead on a cookie-jar shot on a semi-break almost 11 minutes into the third. The Caps built themselves to their third two-goal lead in as many games following Lars Eller’s net front marker less than two minutes later. The Caps held on for the 4-2 win on home ice.

  • Speaking of #CapsFightCancer, Alex Ovechkin and Braden Holtby held hands with Wish Kids during the anthem.
  • The Caps gave up the first goal in a game for only the second time this year. They lost the only previous time to Edmonton. They were 22-16-6 last year when the other team scored first.
  • The Caps responded in the second with 18 shots on goal, Roberto Luongo had an answer for all but one of them. Then, in 4:15 in the third period, he collapsed.
  • Your Brooks Orpik hit of the night
  • With his second period assist and third period goal, Ovechkin is tied with Marcus Johansson for the team lead in points and has gotten at least one point in all but four games this year.
  • Capitals defensemen tallied four assists on the night, keeping up with their early-season success.
  • Jaromir Jagr left the game with a lower-body injury at the end of the first period. He did not return.
  • Marcus Johansson got his first penalty of the year —  a very dubious high-sticking on Aaron Ekblad.
joe-b-suit-of-the-night

Joe B suit of the night

So maybe the thrills took a little while to come. As Alan May said during the first intermission, “It’s a very, very, very, boring hockey game.” But by the end of the third, no one was complaining.

Featured image: Patrick McDermott

Full Coverage of Caps vs Panthers

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